Panel on rally to seek foreign experts' views

The New Straits Times
by ALANG BENDAHARA

ROUND-TABLE TALKS: Aim is to get them to assist police on how to handle crowds, says Hanif

PUTRAJAYA: THE six-member independent advisory panel, which has been tasked to gather details of   riots during the April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur, has invited foreign experts to share their experience.

The experts have handled rallies and demonstrations in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Pakistan.

Panel chairman Tun Hanif Omar met with representatives at the panel's 9th meeting here yesterday.

"The aim is to get them to assist us on how to handle such situations. We want to know what the laws are which they used to manage the crowds.

"And to what extent of the United Nations' protocol on the use of force, protection of media and basic SOPs (standard operating procedures) they adopted to control and manage crowds.

"The idea is to have a round table conference, so that our police and the experts can exchange ideas."

Hanif hoped the round-table talks would be convened in a month's time.

"The panel decided on the four countries as their local authorities recently handled situations similar to Bersih," he added.

Hanif said the panel was also planning to rope in experts from London's metropolitan police.

At yesterday's session, Hanif met with Prasarana Rail Division group director Khairani Mohamed, Prasarana Bus Division group director Zohari Sulaiman, AlHijrah Media Corporation cameraman Mohd Azri Mohd Salleh, Makkal Osai newspaper photographer P. Malayanadi, two policemen and four Kuala Lumpur City Hall officers.